MetLife Foundation Funds Exhibit on Aging

MetLife Foundation has awarded the Society for the Arts in Healthcare a grant to support the US-based tour of Aging Across America, a series of photographs by gerontologist and photographer Jeffrey Levine, MD. The focus of the year-long tour, which will visit six teaching hospitals across the country, is to raise visibility regarding the issues affecting older adults, the nation’s fastest-growing demographic. Dr. Levine’s medical and artistic experience has centered on this population, and each tour stop will be accompanied by his Grand Rounds lecture emphasizing the importance of humanistic medicine, especially in addressing the specific needs of older individuals, as well as community-based programming to increase the broader public’s familiarity with the multiple dimensions of aging in the United States.

MetLife Foundation was established in 1976 to continue MetLife’s longstanding tradition of corporate contributions and community involvement. The Foundation’s commitment to building a secure future for individuals and communities worldwide is reflected in its dedication to empowering older adults, preparing young people and building livable communities. Since it was established, MetLife Foundation has provided more than $530 million in grants and $70 million in program-related investments to nonprofit organizations addressing issues that have a positive impact in their communities.

For the past two decades Jeff has been documenting the historic and unprecedented demographic shift in America toward an aging society, and assembled some of the best images into this exhibit. This is his second traveling show, and builds upon prior work visually documenting the aging process in our medical system and communities across the country. His photographs have been published on numerous covers of The Gerontologist, the flagship journal of the Gerontological Society of America. His prints are part of the permanent collections at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Rutgers University Institute for Health, and NYU Medical Center School of Nursing.

Jeff studied at the Art Students League, International Center for Photography, and the School of Visual Arts. All photos in this show were printed and framed in my office in Manhattan. For info on the early development of his photography please click here.

Aging Across America will be on display at the National Arts Club in New York City from September 10 to 21, 2012. The opening event will be on Thursday, September 13, 2012 from 5:30 to 8:00 PM. An organization wishing to host this exhibit should contact Michelle Mariano from the Society for the Arts in Healthcare, or myself for further details.

Comments

What a perfect reward for your years of hard work in photoessaying the challenges of growing old. Proud photos of your subjects and I am proud to have known you all these years. Congrats on a well deserved award and recognition.
Joel Ross
class of ’86 Mt. Sinai Geriatrics Dept.